Strong
by NCISgirl1527
Summary: Strong: Having force of character, will, morality, or intelligence; not easily captured or defeated. Jane and Maura talk and reflect on life two months after the Boston Marathon Bombing.


_**Well it has been two months since the bombing, and I wanted to do a sort of follow up look at our gang up in Boston. So this may have been one of those things better left alone, but since when am I one to leave things alone? So I hope you like it please review.**_

_**Disclaimer: Not mine.**_

_**Spoilers: End of season three…**_

"_The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken places."_

_~Ernest Hemingway _

"It's been two months," Maura remarked as Jane entered Maura's office holding two cups off coffee.

"I know," Jane said setting one of the cups down on Maura's desk.

She did not need to ask the question: Two months since what? She knew. They all knew. It had not been far from anyone's mind. Even though two months had passed the results of the bombing were still evident.

There was still a memorial on the street, but it had shrunk significantly since it first appeared. More noticeable was the change that had taken root across the city. Boston had rallied. Citizens had come together to fight back. There were few cities in the world that would have shut everything down just to hunt for the person responsible, but Boston had. That same pride and determination could be seen all over the city.

However even on a personal level the effects were apparent. "Your mom wanted to know if you could bring rolls to dinner on Sunday," Maura said, remembering that she had been supposed to ask Jane about that.

"That shouldn't be a problem," Jane replied. She was not quiet sure what to do about her mother's new insistence that the family gather for dinner every Sunday. "We have to talk to her."

"About what?" Maura asked, trying to cool her coffee to a drinkable temperature.

"About these dinners," Jane responded.

"Jane," Maura said, slight, albeit unintentionally, patronizingly, "Those are important to her. Some times it's the only time all week she gets to see you or Frankie. After the bombings she was so terrified that one of you was going to get killed, this makes her feel better."

"That's not what I meant," Jane said, disregarding Maura's patronizing tone, "I actually like them, too."

"Really?" Maura asked raising an eyebrow. Jane had always complained about scheduled meals organized by Angela.

"Yeah," Jane said with a shrug, "I mean its kind of nice to something as a family and get to see everyone."

Maura nodded but did not say anything else. She understood that Jane liked the Sunday night dinners for the same reason Angela did, and, to be honest, Maura herself liked them for that same reason. They were the one time all week that they were all together, like a family.

That was one of those things about tragedy. It caused you to reevaluate you life and how you lived it. It made you realize that some of the things you thought were really important, were not so important after all, but some of the things you took for granted were things you could not stand to lose.

"So what do we need to talk to Angela about?" Maura asked, drawing herself away from her chain of thought to return to the conversation.

"You, Frankie, and I have gotten lucky so far and not been called in on Sunday afternoons," Jane pointed out, "But we both know that's not going to continue indefinitely."

"I know," Maura said, "but I think she understands that too. You and Frankie are not exactly new to the force."

"We should still talk to her about it," Jane said.

"We can mention it to her this Sunday," Maura told her. "By the way, Tommy asked me to ask you if you wanted to come to Fenway with us on Tuesday."

"You're going to a Red Sox game?" Jane asked slightly suspiciously, "With my brother?"

"Yes," Maura said evenly, "I am going to a Red Sox game with your brother and his infant son." She knew Jane was not fond of the idea of her hanging around with Tommy even though Tommy had cleaned up her act. Still Jane had stopped trying to interfere, and Maura was glad. She liked Tommy. The two of them got along well. "Would you like to join us?' Maura asked again.

"I can't," Jane said not quite meeting Maura's eyes, "I have plans with someone else."

"Who?" Maura asked instantly curious.

"Gabriel," Jane said still not looking at Maura, "He's asked me to go to the Red Sox game with him."

"Are you and Gabriel?" Maura asked.

"I don't know," Jane said absentmindedly playing with a lose strand of hair, "I just want to take it slow after everything that happened with Casey, but we've talked about it and he's okay with that."

"Good," Maura said, "I'm glad.

"Yeah," Jane agreed with a nod. Gabriel had been part of the FBI task force working on Boylston Street, and though Jane had been initially annoyed with federal interference in her city, when all was said and done, she was glad that she and Gabriel had run into each other again.

"Okay," Maura said with a small smile, "Maybe we'll run into each other at the game."

"I'm not sure whether I want to run into you and my brother," Jane told her friend, half teasing and half serious.

"Well maybe we don't want to run into you or Gabriel either," Maura replied.

"Fine," Jane said falsely indignant.

"Fine," Maura said in the same tone.

For a moment the two women glared at each other, engaged in a staring contest. Then Jane laughed and Maura smiled, and both lean back in their chairs.

Some things would never change. Friendship was stronger than fear or tragedy. It could endure though what seemed like the worst of time because, like love, it was a reminder of the best of times.

Maura had wondered occasionally what the marathon bombers had hoped to accomplish. If their goal was to hurt people she supposed they had succeeded. More than a hundred people had been injured, four had ultimately died, and many peoples' lives had been changed forever. Still Maura could not help but think that when the bombers tried to cripple the city, they had succeeded only in strengthening it. People had come together, united by a love for the city and a love for each other.

Lives had been changed, but people would carry on. Boston had not been broken, and neither had her people. Instead they showed those terrorists that they were not afraid. They were strong.

Boston Strong.

_**Hope you liked it. Please review.**_


End file.
